Emma Raducanu announced that she could not see the ball by tears “and could” breathe “during a Dubai Open suffering last month.
The 22-year-old British was left in custody behind the umpire’s seat after receiving repeatedly unpleasant attention from a “fixed” person before and his second-round fight against Karolina Muchova.
Raducanu told the reporters: “I was clearly disturbed. I saw him in the first match game and like me, I didn’t know how to end it. I really couldn’t see the ball by tears. I could hardly breathe. I was like, I just had to breathe here.”
Raducanu announced that he had previously approached twice by man in court.
The former US Open champion is talking to the media in advance of the start of the BNP Paribas Open to Indian Wells, where he will return to action this week at the first time from suffering.
The incident occurred early in the first set of Muchova match. He regrouped to play after the man was removed from the arena but lost 7-6, 6-4. He eventually chose not to hit the charges but the individual was banned from future contests.
“It’s a very emotional time,” Raducanu said. “After the match I fell into tears, but it wasn’t necessary because I was gone. There were only a lot of emotions in the last weeks of events that were happening, and I just needed that week to breathe and go here. I feel better.”
Raducanu will face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, ranked by three places above him at No 52 in the world, at the first turn to California. The winner guarantees to face the third seed, Coco Gaff, with the top 32 players who all receive byes until the second round.
